The Extra Mile
by astoryinred
Summary: Modern day AU (same verse as "Cities We Call Home" and "Monsoon Night") In which Eponine and Enjolras take the opportunity to learn to reconnect after some time apart.


_A/N: Oh you very naughty Nonny. I will definitely need to rethink my life after this snippet._

 **The Extra Mile**

 _2014_

Ever since Enjolras made it clear that he was staying in the city for good, Eponine always made it a point to make their apartment the best possible home he could return to. ' _Thankfully it's not all that difficult to do,'_ she thought one lazy afternoon as she set down a bag of groceries on the kitchen counter. As surreal and domestic as this entire situation was, she had to admit that there was something terribly comforting about having a partner who she could go toe to toe with on any issue, but who was also happy to curl up with her on the sofa after a dinner of hot rice, fish stew and ice cream. ' _But who says it has to be boring?'_ she reminded herself as she hurried to change out of her work clothes into something more comfortable, namely one of Enjolras' old shirts.

It was not that she lacked for anything to wear while cooking; in fact Musichetta and Bossuet had given her two good aprons last Christmas. ' _The shirts cover more though'_ Eponine noted as she rolled up the sleeves, which would otherwise have fallen to past her elbows. She hummed to herself as she washed her hands before beginning to peel and chop some potatoes and then onions. It never ceased to amaze her how these seemingly simple and common place foods could turn out into delicacies if she just used her imagination and what little culinary skill she had. "But really, it's simple enough to make potato soup and salmon pasta," she mused aloud. It was just that they did not usually have the time for such treats, being always busy with one cause or another.

Within an hour she had already left two bowls of potato soup to chill in the refrigerator while the freshly cooked salmon was draining in the colander. As she set a pot of water to boil, she heard the telltale sound of a key in the door. ' _Why is he here so early?'_ she thought, feeling a frisson of panic as she hurriedly washed her hands and tried to smooth out her hair. She quickly turned around even as she heard Enjolras' footsteps approaching the kitchen area. "What are you doing here?" she blurted out as soon as she caught sight of him.

Enjolras' eyes widened at this flustered greeting. "Last time I checked, I live here."

"Yes, but I mean-"Eponine trailed off even as she met his suddenly deep yet puzzled look. "Okay is something wrong?"

A smirk tugged at his full lips as he took in the sight of her. "No. You're wearing my shirt."

"It's comfortable. I can see why you won't let go of it," Eponine said, even as she tried to keep her tone level. She bit her lip even as she could feel heat pooling in her belly just from the way he was looking at her, as if she was a drink of water on a hot day. The very thought had her feeling sweat suddenly beading at her neckline and on her brow. " _Damn this summer heat,"_ she thought even as she went back to checking the pasta. Just as she expected she heard him take another step before putting a hand right on her waist. "I'm cooking our dinner," she warned him.

"I know, but I'm not letting you get away with that so easily," he said in her ear. His fingers ghosted lower till they reached the hemline of her shirt, only to come across her bare skin. "Seriously?"

"Yes, your shirt and nothing else," Eponine said, biting her lip when she felt the calluses of his fingers brush against her rear end. The sensation was enough to have her breath catching in her throat, especially when his fingers moved up to her right hip then down to her thigh. "You know I'll never get this done," she said even as she leaned back against him.

"I can wait," Enjolras said even as he moved closer to plant a kiss on her shoulder, right where the shirt nearly hung off her shoulder. He moved a stray strand of hair away from her cheek before pressing a kiss to her neck, smiling against her skin when she gasped softly. "Anything I can do for you?"

Eponine bit her lip even as various memories of various other times he had asked this question suddenly raced through her mind. "Get the lemon and the cilantro ready," she managed to say, having the presence of mind to swat away his hand playfully. "Believe me, it will be worth your while."

"I'm sure," Enjolras said before giving her a light kiss on her cheek and then going to work at another side of the counter. Yet even as Eponine tossed some pasta into the pot of hot water, she was certain that Enjolras was sneaking glances at her while he worked. "You keep that up, we'll both deal with a terrible dinner. Since when were you so unfocused?" she teased.

"I call it having my priorities straight," Enjolras retorted. He was silent for a few minutes as he finished chopping the rest of the spices needed for the pasta. "When we're together, you deserve my utmost attention," he said when he looked at her again.

She elbowed him playfully. "You and your flattery." All the same there was no denying the smile that crossed her face at these words. She quickly drained the pasta and then mixed in the salmon, the lemon, cilantro, and some oil. "It should be cool enough to eat in a few minutes."

"I see," Enjolras said even as he washed his hands and then quickly closed the distance between him and her. "Are you really intent on wearing my clothes all throughout dinner?" he asked, chucking her chin.

She laughed at the challenge she could hear all too well in his tone. "Try me," she whispered before giving him a long kiss, which he returned so fiercely that she ended up backed against the counter. He lost no time in taking control, using his tongue to tease her even as his hands went up under the shirt again. Before she knew it he had already undone the buttons and was easing it down her shoulders. " _Miguel!"_ she screeched indignantly.

"You look best without it," he said against her lips even as his hands tangled in her hair. "Have you any idea what you do to me? Every day for the past few years-"

"Every day, when we're both around," she corrected as she moved her hand down to caress the hard planes of his chest.

"Yes, when we're here," he amended before touching his forehead to hers. "There's so much that I want to say to you, but you always steal the words."

"Show me then," she quipped. She laughed gleefully when he kissed her before lifting her with one smooth motion off the counter. "What are you doing?"

"Getting us someplace more comfortable. I haven't had the chance to sit down yet," Enjolras said resolutely as he carried her away from the kitchen. For a moment Eponine thought that he was going to set her down on the sofa or a beanbag chair, but the glint in his eyes was enough for her to know that they would be headed someplace more intimate. Enjolras lost no time in setting her down on their bed, grabbing her hands to hold them above her head as he kissed her. "Wait here," he practically growled as he pressed her body into the pillows.

"What for?" she asked reflexively as she pushed herself up on her elbows as soon as his weight was off her. Her eyes widened when she saw him return after only a minute, holding the shirt that he had so quickly taken from her. "What's that for?"

"There's more than one way to wear this," he said as he got back on the bed, moving so that he was kneeling above her. "Do you want to try it?"

Eponine swallowed hard, realizing now what he had in mind. "What's the worst you can do?" she asked, holding out her wrists by way of consent.

"Are you sure you want to find out?" he taunted as he knotted the shirt's sleeves around her wrist, firmly enough so that the fabric dug slightly in her skin.

"We've done this before, just not with your shirt," she pointed out. Her heartbeat sped up as she tried pulling against the fabric, only to find that the knot held tight. "I mean, really?"

Enjolras shook his head before reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing the eye mask Eponine kept there for days when she wanted to sleep in. "Not with this."

Her mouth went dry as she met his gaze. "Well that's new."

He nodded even as he pulled the eye mask over her head, adjusting it so that it covered her eyes completely. "Are you fine with that?"

"Yes," Eponine gasped, wishing now that she could see him even as he said these words. ' _The way he looks at me..._ ' she thought even as she felt him kiss her, tugging at her bottom lip. "Miguel-" she moaned.

Enjolras pressed a kiss to her nose when he heard her whimper as she squirmed against him. He moved her hands so that they were above her head. "If it's too much, _please_ tell me to stop."

"I know," Eponine managed to say. Even though she could not see him, she already knew his movements well enough to match them, such that she was able to catch his midsection with her legs and rest her ankles on his back. She yelped with surprise when he pressed her into the mattress, holding her hands up against the pillows as he pushed her legs apart. "What-"

"Just hold on to me," Enjolras instructed in her ear. His fingers closed around hers and she grabbed on for dear life even as she felt his lips coursing down her body, stopping to tease her at the hollow of her collarbones, her breastbone, and every space he could find between her ribs. "Is this fine with you?"

"Yes," she stammered. She could feel his growing arousal through his pants, pressing against her, up until he suddenly shifted to plant a searing kiss beneath her navel. She moaned and bucked against him even as his free hand found her center, sending a jolt through her body. "Oh please..."

Enjolras tightened his grip on her bound hands, using his thumb to rub her pulse point. "I'm here," he whispered before moving his head to between her legs.

Eponine gasped at the ticklish feel of his hair against the insides of her thighs, a mere second before his lips were at her center, lapping eagerly in time to her cries. She let out a pleasured groan as first one, then two of his fingers, slid into her entrance. The fact that she could not see what he was doing only intensified the heat she felt coiling through her, especially when she began to feel her body clench and tighten. "Please..."

"Hmm? What did you say?" Enjolras asked before he flicked his tongue once, then twice over now swollen clit, making her shriek. "What do you want?"

"You…in me," she choked out. Had her hands been free she would have pulled his hair to further make her point, but now there was nothing she could do but writhe under his ministrations. "I _need_ you, please!"

Enjolras gave her slit one last, long lick before kissing the inside of her thigh. "You only had to ask once," he muttered before pulling away. Eponine whimpered with protest till she heard the telltale click of him undoing his belt buckle. She could only listen with bated breath as he quickly took off his clothes, and even this slight rustling made the ache between her legs nearly unbearable. Suddenly she felt his hand on her crotch, firmly keeping her thighs apart. "I'll take care of that," he said in a low voice.

Heat flooded Eponine's face as she realized that she had been rubbing her legs together in an attempt to gain some much needed friction, but before she could mull on that she felt the warm weight of him now on her. She arched up into him desperately, welcoming his tight grip on her hips as he eased himself into her. The familiar feeling of him filling her was exquisite, more so when he began to thrust slowly, rolling his hips against hers in an almost maddening rhythm that had her moaning his name between kisses. She could feel the strain in his muscles as his breathing grew faster, signs that he too was approaching his release. She raised her hips to try to match his movements, only to end up sinking further into the mattress as his thrusts grew faster and deeper, bringing her dangerously close to the brink and unable to do anything but cry out his name. Suddenly she felt a tug as light flooded her field of vision. "What-"

Enjolras tossed aside the eye mask before giving her a fierce kiss. "Eponine, look at me."

Through the building haze of pleasure she finally caught sight of his face, flushed with exertion, and the way his full lips whispered her name against her cheek. She gasped as she felt her body clench a mere moment before a wave of pleasure pounded through her, making her scream and keen out her lover's name against his lips. Enjolras thrust a few more times before reaching for her hands as he too spent himself in her. She fell back onto the pillows, thoroughly dazed and senseless, even as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck. At length she felt his fingers undoing the knot around her wrists. "Miguel?" she asked as she angled her head to look at him.

Enjolras kissed her jaw as he clasped her hands. "How are you doing?"

"Splendid," she whispered, relishing the warmth of his fingers as they rubbed some feeling back into her hands. "I don't think I'll be able to walk for a bit. "

He smirked knowingly as he traced idle circles over her midsection. "I'll get dinner served up," he offered. "It is just pasta, isn't it?"

She grinned at this query as she began to rub his shoulders, now pleased to see him relax into her touch. The fact that he could be so unguarded around her was always enough to make her feel warm all over. "There is some vichyssoise in the fridge, and I was about to get started on dessert when you got in."

"What is the occasion?"

"Just a good weekend here at home."

"A rarity," he concurred before kissing her forehead and wrapping an arm around her waist.

Eponine smiled more widely as she rested her cheek on his chest and shut her eyes. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat was soothing, such that she was not aware that she had dozed off until she felt cool sheets against her skin, prompting her to open her eyes and take in the sight of the warm glow of the lamp that lit up their otherwise darkened bedroom. The aromas of coffee, caramel and apples hung in the air, prompting her to get out of bed to investigate. _'How long has he been awake?'_ she wondered as she pulled on a camisole and a pair of shorts, and then slipped out of the bedroom. She found him already dressed and sitting in the living room, engrossed in yet another book. On the coffee table were two bowls of the vichyssoise soup, as well as two heaping plates of pasta. As quietly as she could she sat next to him, placing her feet in his lap. "Hungry already?"

"Now I am," he replied, squeezing her left knee gently. "Let's eat."

"Typical guy, thinking with your stomach," she joked as she reached over to pass a plate to him. Much to her relief the vichyssoise turned out exactly as she had hoped it would taste, and the salmon pasta had not suffered very much by their inadvertently leaving it to cool. "It's a bit more than what we are used to but I thought we could use the change," she remarked as she watched him finish the last of the soup in his bowl.

"Which does not require an occasion," he deadpanned.

She shrugged. "Says the one who made dessert? What did you do?"

He touched her shoulder before heading to the kitchen and returning with two large apples on a plate. "They're not your typical baked apples," he said as he set the plate down.

"I see someone's been stuck with Bossuet and his recorded cooking shows," she quipped before biting into one of the fruits, only to be met with sweet custard mingling with the slight tartness of the apple juice. "Wow. This is good."

Enjolras grinned proudly before taking a bite of his own dessert. "My grandmother had a friend who used to make these, every Christmas. She'd send some to the house."

"You reverse-engineered the recipe?"

"It's not that difficult to do."

Eponine snorted as for a moment she imagined her partner struggling to core one of these apples without inadvertently cutting his finger. "You are still so full of surprises," she murmured before continuing to eat.

Enjolras raised an eyebrow. "Says the psychologist?"

"I could never figure you out, not entirely. And I'm pretty sure I don't want to," she said. ' _Is it because you've both come a long way, or is it because it's only now you're finally giving things between you a decent shot?'_ she wondered silently as she watched him finish his apple. Yet if having Enjolras back in the city for good was going to lead to more such revelations, she certainly was not about to object. She licked the last of the juice and custard from her fingers before leaning in to give him a long, slow kiss. "Thank you for this," she whispered when they pulled away to catch their breath.

"For the dessert? You're welcome."

"That, and being here too."

He reached for her hand and kissed it. "I didn't realize how much I missed being here until well, I was actually telling you about my decision to stay," he admitted as he ran his fingers through her still rather tousled hair.

She smiled at the memory of that particular rainy evening only a few months ago. "I never got to thank you properly for that."

"You showed your approval rather _thoroughly_ , if I recall," he pointed out.

"That was us celebrating. This is different." She climbed into his lap and cradled his face in her hands before planting a teasing kiss on the tip of his nose, just to see him get all flustered. "I've always told you how bad I felt whenever you were away, but I never told you how I got through those times," she said as she touched her forehead to his.

He rubbed his right thumb across her cheek. "You _are_ one of the strongest persons I know. I have never doubted that."

Eponine blushed at this compliment even as she put her fingers on his lips. "It doesn't change the fact I missed you each and every time." To further state the point she led his hands to her hips, to touch the hem of her camisole. "I would think about what could happen if I was with you at that precise moment."

"At that precise moment, wherever I was in some rundown inn, or even in a tent under the rain?" he asked, his eyes dark with desire when he met her gaze.

Eponine swallowed hard as she imagined him lying alone in a cramped hostel bed, wearing only his boxer shorts while talking to her on his phone. "Where else?" she said in a level tone even as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt. She moved so that she was straddling his lap, the crotch of her shorts just an inch away from his. "You always would say so in your calls and texts."

Enjolras' breath caught in his throat as he glanced down at her hips. "Well what would you have done?" he challenged.

"You'd be working, but I'd find a way to fix that," she said. "You wouldn't last even a minute with this."

"I'd like to see that," Enjolras retorted as he brought up his hands to the straps of her camisole, but she quickly swatted them away. "Or not?" he asked querulously.

"Just you wait. I'm not through yet," she insisted. All the times she had fantasized about being with him on his travels were now racing through her mind, and she blushed on realizing just how vivid most of these imaginings were. She had to will herself to keep calm as she pulled his shirt over his head, just so she could run her hands down his chest. She chuckled when he shivered under her fingers. "Cold?"

He shook his head adamantly. "What are you doing?"

"Telling you what I'd do, and only telling," she said. She put her elbows on his shoulders, moving so that her still clothed breasts were just barely brushing his bare skin. He gritted his teeth to hold back a groan, prompting her to kiss him gently. "Haven't I got you speechless?"

"You tease," he muttered. "Is this what you think about doing when I'm out of town?"

"Sometimes," she said sweetly. "More of trying to get you comfortable; you're always so tired and tense when you come back to me," she added, bringing up her fingers to brush the nape of his neck and tangle in his curls. "I'd fix that. You know I'm good with giving you back rubs first-then all the way down the front."

Enjolras bit his lip. "Sometimes _too_ good."

She laughed before leaning in so that her lips were by his ear. "You'd be under me. You know how this _always_ goes, Miguel? My hands first and then my lips-"

"Eponine, really-"

"Yes, and with you saying my name just like that," she said nonchalantly as she let go of his hair and pulled away from him, just enough to give him a full view of her as she slid one strap of her camisole down her left shoulder, and then her right. She could feel her heart racing as she watched how he eyed her body with both shock and longing, more so when she guided his hands to rest on the waistband of her shorts. "There, that's better. For now."

Enjolras swallowed hard. "You've thought of this?"

"Maybe? Not as good as this though," she said before moving closer so that her breasts were pressed up against his chest. The friction between them was making that ache build again between her legs such that she could not help but rub against him in an effort to seek some relief. "Here behind your ears first, just so I can see you go all red," she said, fighting to keep her tone level. "Then down to your shoulders-I'd take my time there. Then down, where I can _feel_ your heartbeat speeding up."

"You're not the only one," Enjolras countered. One of his hands crept below the waistband of her shorts, stopping to rest just above her mound. "Tell me more."

She bit her lip at the added contact, feeling even more heat pooling deep within her as he put a finger right against his slit. "I'd have you in my mouth," she said more boldly. She grasped his still clothed erection, eliciting a groan as he bucked up into her hand. "Or is this good enough?"

Enjolras shook his head. "The things you do-"

"No," she insisted, feeling him begin to move to pin her down on the sofa. She squeezed his member again, this time making him moan more loudly. "You know how this goes? Your hands are in my hair, I'm gripping your thighs since I know that drives you crazy. You say nothing but my name as I stop and then go again-"

He gritted his teeth once more as his free hand grabbed her hip. "You can't be serious,' he muttered, his voice now low and pained.

"What if I am?" she asked coyly, but she thought the better of teasing him further on seeing how he was straining against his shorts and her hands. She deftly removed his shorts followed by hers, making sure to kick both garments aside. "I think you ought to lie down," she suggested as she pushed on his shoulders.

He obliged by lying down and drawing up his legs to prop her up. "Is that what you think about when I leave you here?"

"Yes, and more." She gripped his arms for support as she lowered herself on him, gasping as she felt his length slowly filling her. She sighed when she heard him take a deep breath. "Is that better?"

"Much so," Enjolras replied as he suddenly thrust up into her, making her yelp with surprise. "You're so beautiful like this-"

"So you always tell me, but it's my turn," she insisted, grinding back down on him. She stretched out against him as she continued to rock her hips in circles, slowly increasing the pressure between them. The mere sight of him so undone under her was only heightening the climax she felt building in her body, and it was all she could do to keep up a fast rhythm as she felt him begin to twitch in her. "When you're away, I imagine you're with me here at home. You come in through the door and pin me to the wall and you can't stop kissing me, you make love to me since I'm all you've wanted since you've gotten on that damn plane once again. I _can't_ touch myself since you're not there, I want to see you _with_ me," she whispered in his ear.

Enjolras groaned even as he brought up his hands to tangle in her hair. "Eponine-"

"Yes, I'm here," Eponine said, before crying out as she felt his hand now on her clit, rubbing her in time with her now erratic movements. She twisted to take in more of him even as she buried her face in his neck. "I love you, I love you so much-" she murmured as she reached her peak once again, a mere second before he too climaxed, groaning her name before she caught his lips in a searing kiss.

She pulled away when she felt him relax under her, and rested her chin on his shoulder as she watched him catch his breath. When their eyes met, the dazed yet satisfied smile that crossed his face was enough to have her giggling. "Now I really have you speechless?"

"Just you," he said before reaching up to kiss her nose. He ran his hand up and down her back before stopping to clasp her hand. "I'm glad it's you I'm coming home to," he said in her ear.

She kissed his knuckles before placing his hand over where she could feel her heart racing. "Always," she murmured, knowing that single word would carry them more than just past this night.


End file.
